Before the Gathering Storm
by AlbusSeverusGryffindor
Summary: Nineteen year old Harry Potter was certain all of his battles were over once he'd fulfilled the Prophecy and defeated Voldemort but he was wrong. Deadly wrong. An After DH fanfiction.
1. Chapter 1: Godric's Hollow Again

**Beyond the Gathering Storm**

by AlbusSeverusGryffindor

Summary: 19 year old Harry Potter thought his battles were over when he defeated Voldemort two years ago. But he was wrong, deadly wrong.

Author's Note: This story is set after the final chapter but before the epilogue of Deathly Hallows. I do not own Harry Potter. Wish I did. Enjoy.

**Prologue: Godric's Hollow Again**

_" The world seems not the same_

_Though I know nothing has changed_

_It's all my state of mind_

_I can't leave it all behind_

_I have to stand up to be stronger"_

_PALE- Within Temptation_

The sky above him was a deep coralian blue with a scattering of white clouds set high in it and the wind that caressed his hair held the warmth and promise of summer. The birds around the cemetery gates were making a joyful noise as if celebrating the Light's recent great victory over the Dark. Even the entire world felt as if a long spell of darkness had finally ended and everything around the young man seemed bright and new because of that. The slanting sun rained down on the pale youth, bathing him in it's warm rays of light, picking out the lighting shaped scar on the man's forhead whenever the dancing wind lifted his fringe from it.

Seventeen year old Harry Potter noticed none of these things, all of his thought and sight concentrated upon the white marble grave marker before him. There was a wreath of red Christmas roses at the stone's foot that looked as fresh as it had on that Christmas eve night when he and Hermione had visited this grave and she had conjured it in response to his silent wish to have something to leave them. That had been in a time of extreme danger and darkness for him and everyone around him but now everything was at peace. Everything it seemed except the heart of the one who had brought about that peace. The heart of Harry Potter was in turmoil and full of guilt at the lives that had been so brutally cut short because of his own inaction. If only he had given himself up when Voldemort had first demanded it of him then maybe all those deaths could have been avoided. If only he had been able to locate and destroy all the Horcruxes faster then maybe the final battle would have been elsewhere and all those student wouldn't have been caught up in it.

The wind continued to play with his messy black hair and tugged on the dark robes and cloak that he wore, though he noticed it not at all. His pale face was pensive and his bright green eyes were awash in tears that fell from his eyes and blurred his vision as he stared at the place where his parents were laying at rest. He wished, as he had done all those months ago, that he was laying in the grave with them totally unaware that a brutal war had been fought. Instead he continued to live, to suffer because of who he was. Even after all of the times he'd been nearly killed in his short life and even after he'd allowed himself to be killed by his foe he still, against all odds, lived. He looked down at his parent's names on the stone again, tracing each letter of their names with a trembling finger. His eyes lingered on the date of their deaths and his eyes misted over again as pain, sorrow and loneliness rose in his heart. Maybe he shouldn't have returned here. His grief over everything that had happened was still to raw but he'd felt drawn here today and he felt the need to talk to them despite the fact that they would not hear him again.

"I finished what you started that night sixteen years ago. Voldemort is truly gone now." His voice was barely above a whisper and full of a mixture of emotions and longing. " He will never again bring harm to those I love or anyone else."

A mere two weeks previous Harry had finally confronted the now mortal Voldemort under the enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall at Hogwarts and it was there, using the Expelliamus spell as he had done in the graveyard three years previous, that he had defeated the most feared Dark Lord in a century. With only that simple and unorthodox spell the threat that Harry and millions of others both magical and muggle had lived under was gone and Harry's life was for the first time free of his almost constant tormentor. It was a freedom that he had despaired ever having in his life and one that he was lucky to be alive to enjoy. And yet he'd been unable to enjoy the newly created peace at all. His heart was to full of pain and sorrow to allow for any joy or relief to be present within it.

The last few weeks had been rough. With all the funerals, speeches, interviews and everyone wanting to see, touch or talk to him, Harry barely had a moment to himself. What he really wanted was to be left alone and no one seemed to understand that apart from his close friends who could see the strain he was under. He needed his own time to grieve over lost friends and to try to come to terms with everything that had happened in the last year. Finally, after a particularly trying funeral wherein several of the mourners had thrown themselves at him demanding to know why he still lived while their child was dead, he had slipped on his Invisibility Cloak, fled the Burrow's protective embrace and had come here to try to calm himself. At least here he could be alone and no one would think to bother him since it was his parents final resting place.

Harry closed his eyes, feeling the warmth of the breeze drying the tears that were still running down his face. Images flashed across his eyelids, bright and clear as photographs. The faces of those who died, the smell and sights of that final and terrible battle, the fear that he'd felt when he made that seemingly long walk to what he thought was his own destined death. Words of the speech he had given at a ceremony at Hogwarts echoed in his head: " I...we survived this time of darkness because of the sacrifices made by those who gave their lives to protect those around them. Their lives continue to burn in our hearts because they were willing to give their lives to a cause that they and we believed in. We must never forget them nor the sacrifices that were made to restore the peace. Let what we build here stand as a testament to their bravery and honor."

He opened his eyes and looked around him, not really seeing anything. The warmth and beauty of the day did nothing to relieve the aching numbness of his heart, a cold numbness that had begun when Dobby had been slain in his rescue of Harry and the others from Malfoy Manor and had continued to spread as others around him had fallen. All those lives sacrificed because of him, because he was the one in need of protection, because he was the 'Chosen One' whose life was far more important than any of theirs, because he and he alone was the one destined to vanquish Voldemort. All their deaths were his fault. If he had only surrendered himself sooner then...No!  
He had to stop blaming himself for everything. This was war and in war people died. None of it was his fault. The blame lay with Voldemort and Voldemort alone. He had not, after all, been the one who had pointed his wand at them with the intent to kill. He had not forced them to die for him like they were so much cannon fodder. They had all done so willingly and of their own volition, just as he had done in the forest that night. But still they had died for him and he could never forgive himself for that. Never.

He shook his head to clear these thoughts from his mind before they could torment him farther. Instead, he pulled out an official looking envelope with the seal of the Minister for Magic on it. He stared down at the address on it his face blank and his eyes unreadable. The information contained within it felt like a great weight on his heart. Kingsley Shaklebolt had wasted no time in informing Harry of his desire that the young war hero join the reshuffled Auror Department sans training and Harry had no idea how he felt about it.

On the one hand it had always been his dream to join the Aurors despite the fact that it was a Death Eater disguised as 'Mad-Eye' Moody that had first pointed him toward that career. It was all he had ever wanted to be, the one job he'd actually felt reasonably sure he could do well. But that was before the Second War. He wondered now if he would be able to handle the stress of it after all that had happened in the last year. Would he be able to deal with more fighting? Would he be able to handle more deaths around him? Was it perhaps better for him to find a nice, quiet career maybe teaching Defense at Hogwarts or working at Weasley Wizard Wheezes? Something quiet with minimal dangers that would keep his memories of the war and all he'd lost in check.

He knelt before his parent's grave, irresolute, his tired, red rimmed eyes flicking from the address on the letter to the names on the gravestone and back again. Finally, with an air of resolution, he made his choice. He was a warrior, a hero, after all and he'd been one for far too long to cast that role aside now. His 'people saving thing' was to ingrained in him now to leave it all behind. He smiled for the first time in ages and gave a nod to the grave before turning on the spot and vanishing to face his choice: a choice that would take him into the unknown and into more darkness and danger than ever Voldemort had devised.


	2. Chapter 2: Auror Test

**Beyond the Gathering Storm**

by: AlbusSeverusGryffindor

Author's note: I don't own Harry Potter or any of Ms Rowling's wonderful characters. Hope you enjoy the chapter and please feel free to review.

**Chapter One: Auror Test**

_Feel the touch _

_Of tears that fall_

_-they won't fall forever_

_In the way the day will flow_

_All things come_

_All things go._

_It's in the Rain- Enya_

The ride down to the Auror Office was normally a time of relaxation for Harry Potter but today he was unable to use that time to relax. Instead his thoughts turned to what would happen once he reached the place that had come to be a second home to him. Today was the day he would be taking his final practical exam that would end his Auror training. He wasn't worried about the exam itself per say but he was deeply concerned about what he might face during the final testing he was to undergo today. He had every right to be concerned as it was this exact test two years ago that had almost lead to him being expelled from the Auror program. He frowned as he remembered having gone completely mental in the testing room when images from his past appeared before him. When he came to several hours later he was in St. Mungo's recovering from the spells they had cast to restrain him. He shook his head and tried to find the calm place inside him as the mind healers had told him to do whenever memories of his past surfaced.

Two years of hard training had added muscle to the slight young man. His black hair was still messy but was now somewhat tamed into a long tail held at the nape of his neck by a silver clip. His bright green eyes shimmered with the magical power within him and were full of warmth and mischief. (His instructors had also noted that his eyes became icy green chips full of determination when he dueled.) The lightening shaped scar on his forehead, which had lain dormant since the Fall of Voldemort, was hidden under his long bangs. His outward appearance was one of calm assurance and quiet strength but this hid a fragile spirit that had almost been broken by all of suffering he'd endured earlier in life.

The woman's voice inside the elevator told him that he'd arrived at Level Two containing the Auror's Offices and he stepped out of it. Several young women in the hall eyed Harry appreciatively as he passed because he cut such a handsome figure. He nodded and gave them a generic though warm greeting. Most of them were aware that he was engaged to be married but that didn't stop them from looking. In their minds he was one good looking, well dressed wizard. The clothing he wore made the most of his pale skin and dark hair, favoring dark colors or else greens that brought out the vivid color of his eyes. It also didn't hurt that he'd been a hero in the last war at the tender age of seventeen, that he was the 'Chosen One' and that he had put an end to Voldemort's second rise almost entirely alone. Most of the women in the Ministry were entranced by the calm strength of the soon-to-be-Auror and were thereafter smitten.

There was a great deal of gossip and rumors concerning the young Auror-in-Training. Nearly everyone had heard that he was the most powerful Auror magically. They had also heard that he was the most skilled duelist of those that were about to be passed into full Auror status. Yet his warrior's heart was tempered by his friendly demeanor and his compassion for others, even those that were evil. Rumor even had it that Harry had asked Voldemort to try and show some remorse for all the evil he had done before infamous Dark Wizard had met his end at the hands of a backfired Killing Curse. There was even a whisper that Harry had sacrificed himself and had been brought back to life so that he could finish the job.It was rumored that he'd been hand picked by the Minister for Magic himself shorty after the war and that the Minister was going to allow him entrance into the Auror ranks without training. He had insisted that he be treated as every other new trainee was though and that he deserved no special treatment from anyone despite his hero status. This had endeared him to those that would become his squad mates during training and they had gravitated to him like the leader he was.

Harry continued down the long winding hallway, nodding to people as he passed and giving them a friendly smile though his mind was still occupied with thoughts of his upcoming test. What would he see in the dueling chamber this time? More dementors? Death Eaters? Would Voldemort appear again as he had last time to torment him? Would he feel what it was like to die again? He was so preoccupied that he jumped in surprise as a body hurtled around the corner and barreled into him. Looking down he saw a familiar mane of bushy brown hair and he smiled.

"Hermoine? Wha? "

"I'm glad I caught you in time. I just wanted to wish you good luck, Harry. " She smiled up at him and his own smile widened a fraction.

"Er...Thanks. "

She looked deeply into his eyes for a moment and then studied him closely. He noticed that she seemed to be worried about something and had a shrewd guess as to what. Apparently though she saw whatever it was she was looking in his eyes for because she nodded and some of the worry left her eyes. She grinned up at him and he couldn't help but grin back. He was glad that his two best friends in the world had followed him into the Ministry after it became clear that it was no longer the corrupt place it had been. Ron was also in the Auror Department having just recently passed his final tests along with his squad while Hermione had just transfered from the department she'd been working in to Magical Law Enforcement. He often met them for lunch and occasionally dinner when his training allowed.

"You'll do fine. I know you will. Just keep a cool head and everything will be fine." Hermione looked at him anxiously for a moment.

" I know. I've just got to put that all behind me now. I'll see you and Ron later and then you can both laugh at how I made a fool of myself during the test." His eyes snapped with merriment. Hermione huffed at him and muttered something about boys before she moved on passed him with a wave. He chuckled and continued toward the Auror Office while she made her way back the way she'd come.

He entered the office five minutes later, feeling strangely like he'd come home. For all intents and purposes this had been his home for the past two years and he found the room had a calming effect on him for some reason. He nodded at several people as he passed their desks and they all greeted him in a friendly way, one or two of them even slapped him on the back as he passed. The five members of his squad gave him thumbs up signs, which caused him to grin. He was headed for a plain wooden door at the end of the large room that lead to the Head of the Department's office. He gave the door a hearty knock and entered.

Gawain Robards, the Head of the Auror Department, was a greying man with deep hazel eyes that took in everything around him. Nothing escaped his noticed and he noticed that the young man before him seemed to be in really good spirits. He also noticed that Potter looked ready for anything they could throw at him. He hoped that would be the case. They needed him and his squad out in the field soon. There were distrubing rumors coming to the Ministry's attention and they needed the best Aurors to investigate if they were true. Potter was the best they had turned out in years and everyone knew it. His scores were through the roof and he was adept at adapting to new situations and in inventing new ways to use the arsenal of spells every Auror learned. He was also the best defensive wizard out there though his offense was just as impressive. He only had one problem and that was that he tended to go, for lack of a better word, trigger happy with his wand in situations where it was not called for. This was of course explainable since he had come into training straight from the battlefields of the Second War but it was something that Potter had worked hard to overcome.

"Ah, there you are Potter. I trust you have had a restful weekend." He eyed Harry closely, almost critically. Harry merely nodded, his nervousness having returned tenfold.

"Don't be so nervous Potter. I'm sure you'll be fine. " Robards smiled at him jovially and Harry tried to relax enough to grin back but it came out more like a grimace. "As you know you and your squad have done very well in your testing. I dare say you're the best squad we've ever turned out. You have passed both your written and the group practical with ease. You've always worked well as a team from the day you began training together and I fully intend to send you into the field as a team when you are through here. "

"Yes, sir." Harry felt his heart lift a bit at his mentor's words and he smiled at Robards who returned his smile though there was a bit of concern in his eyes.

"As you have been appointed the leader of the squad there is one more test I am required to give you: one the will test your physical, mental and magical well-being."

"The test that I failed two years ago."

This was a statement rather than a question and there was no indication of how Potter was feeling about this from the tone of his voice. Robards had, at that time, decided that Harry should be allowed to retake this test at the end of his training. Harry had been relieved at the time that he wasn't thrown out of training because of his poor performance but now he wondered if two years was enough time for the wounds of his grief to heal. Had the last two years helped him to heal at all he wondered? He hoped it had because now that he'd finished the training he knew this was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.

" Whenever you feel ready, Potter, the test will be in Arena Eleven. "

Harry's face paled but he nodded sharply at his mentor and gave him a short bow before exiting the room in a swirl of dark grey robes. Robards watched Potter leave and prayed that this testing went better than the initial one two years previous had. That test had been an unmitigated disaster that had left several high level Aurors severely wounded and Potter in such a state that he'd been sent to St. Mungo's for three months off and on to talk to the Mind Healers there to help him deal with his grief and guilt. The only thing that had prevented him from being expelled from the program at the time was the fact that he'd just recently come from a battlefield far worse than anything the Auror Department had seen in recent years. Robards himself wasn't sure he would have been able to hold himself together at the time if even half of what was said about his young charge was true. Potter was lucky to be both alive and sane by all accounts. He shook his head and prayed to Merlin that this time things would turn out differently.

Harry stood for a moment outside the Head's door to try and calm his racing heart. He knew he would have to face this test again someday. He'd failed the original badly but they had waived the results and allowed him to enter training anyway. And now that failure seemed to echo down the years at him, taunting him with images of that test that he'd forgotten. He sighed and started across the room, heading for the elevator that would take him down to the training arena. His mind was clearly elsewhere and his body was on autopilot so he did not at first notice the group that had blocked his way to the elevator until he ran straight into Alan Somersby, who slapped him on the back with a grin.

" So today's the big day." Somersby's grey eyes bored into Harry's and he couldn't help but grin.

" Yeah. Today I get to make more of a fool of myself than usual. Care to join me? " He chuckled and looked around at the other members of his squad.

"I'm sure you'll be just fine. Your the one who defeated Voldemort after all." said a short, blonde witch who was standing next to Alan. Sarah Peterson had always been able to calm Harry's nerves and he looked at her in gratitude. She was the calming influence in the group and the group's peacemaker.

"Give 'em Hell, Harry." Daniel Mason's deep baritone echoed around the room and Harry gave the tall, dark American wizard a thumbs up sign which was returned with a flash of white teeth.

Dark-haired Valarian McDonigan gave him a smile of encouragement and quiet Ekaterina Ivanova gave him a flirtatious wink and grin.

"When you've finished rearranging the Dungeon we're all treating you for lunch. Just be sure to leave something for the rest of the trainees to fight will you. " Valarian grinned at him.

"And this time there'll be no way out of it, Potter. You seem to weasel your way out of every get-together we have." Ekaterina threw him a mock glare.

Harry waved his hands in mute surrender to his friends' combined attack and grinned. "Fine then. But don't say I didn't warn you. I'll likely be a right mess when I'm finished but if you maniacs can handle that then fine we'll have lunch. Just let me go now. No telling how long the test will be and we all know how hungry Mason gets."

"If your English types knew what 'real food' was then maybe I wouldn't be half starved all the time." Mason said with a grin and twinkle of his dark eyes. Harry grinned in return.

They parted and allowed him to move on, giving him encouraging words that he really didn't hear but leaving him with a heart a little lighter than it had been a moment before. His good mood lasted until he stood before the door that lead to Training Arena Eleven and then his steps faltered. He stood, staring blankly at the pale wooded door for what seemed to be an eternity before he steeled himself and entered.

The room was completely empty and dark but Harry knew from experience that it wouldn't remain so for long. His eye roamed around the room and he drew his wand as he mentally prepared himself for what the room was likely to pull from his memories. The last time he'd seen horrific images of the Battle of Hogwarts and he'd been flung back into the mindset of that time. He heard the door behind him close with a snap as if from a great distance and the room around him instantly changed as it did so.

He was standing in the Great Hall at Hogwarts again looking down at the bodies of those who had died. He felt his heart clench in his chest and his vision blurred for a moment.

" They died because of your weakness, Potter." A cold, high pitched voice hissed in his ear and he whipped around to find himself face to face with Voldemort. His wand was pointed directly at the spot were the Killing Curse had hit Harry.

"No, they died because of you. Your the one who took their lives, not me." He retorted calmly. "Their blood is on your hands not mine."

"Are you absolutely sure of that, Harry Potter? They were your friends, your family and yet you failed them when they needed you most. You failed to protect them and let them die for you." Voldemort sneered at him and he could hear the wailing voices of the dead again. All the guilt and shame Harry had thought buried deep in his heart resurfaced now with a vengeance.

To his horror the dead began to rise and soon had him surrounded. They moaned piteously at him, demanding to know why he was still alive and why he had done nothing to save them. They clawed at his robes, at his eyes, at his arms, trying to suffocate him with their numbers and to break him with their words. At first it was all he could do to fight them off without hurting them and to ignore their words that hit too close to the pain he still held deep in his heart. He tried desperately to clear his mind and to find his calm center. He had to fight the ghosts of his past if he had any hope of living in the peaceful future he'd created.

"You're so weak, Harry Potter. You feel too much. Love is only weakness and foolishness." Voldemort's voice cut through his concentration and he found himself staring into the red eyes of his enemy. They seemed to reflect the truth he knew in his heart. He was to blame for all the deaths around him. He was the cause of all of the pain in his life.

"Perhaps it would have been better if you had died that night. All the pain would have been avoided." Harry felt his heart plummet into the depths of despair at the words that echoed similar ones he'd thought in the past. Maybe the world would be better off without him. All he caused was misery and pain to others. His life was worthless next to theirs. He should just give up, let it all go. Let it go.

"Let go."

The words spoken by his father and mother echoed back to him and he knew what he had to do. He looked around at all the faces of the dead and closed his eyes, feeling their nails biting into his flesh but striving to ignore it as well as the words that they were saying. For someplace deep inside him he found the will to face these ghosts, to let go of the sorrow of his past at last. There was a small flare of power and the ghostly undead vanished leaving the Great Hall empty. When he opened his eyes only he and Voldemort remained and Voldemort seemed surprised by his victory.

Harry glared across the space between them and pointed his wand at Voldemort. With a wordless spell Voldemort exploded into green sparks and the room darkened once more. Harry found himself leaning against a wall and panting. His face was covered in sweat and his eyes darted around the dark room. He was just about to reach for the doorknob when a cold wind swept through him and a sinister laughter sounded within the darkness. Suddenly what felt like a huge snake wrapped itself around Harry's chest and began to squeeze the breath out of him. He struggled fruitlessly for several minutes only to have the snake squeeze harder. He tried to point his wand at it but then a spell was fired at his hand causing him to drop the wand, which clattered to the floor and was lost in the darkness.

He saw darker spots in front of his eyes and began to panic. He struggled within the coils again and felt the snake tighten it's grip on him. He tried to summon his wand but the spell was to feeble to do anything more then to cause his wand to make a clattering sound as it rolled on the floor. Finally, he did the only thing he could think of and transfigured the snake into a rope without wand or word. The tranfigured snake fell limply to the ground and he along with it. He lay on the cool, stone floor panting for several moments when he noticed that the cold wind and the sinister laughter had not stopped. He scrabbled to his feet and then a cold voice began to recite something as if from a book, while chanting voices surrounded him.

"The Nightwings have been reborn and Darkness shall once more reign. Only the Nine shall stand against them and have any hope of success. Trumpets of War shall call the 'Chosen One' to battle again for only he has the power that evil knows not. Five relics of old must be restored lest the Light shall die for all time. Thy battles are not yet done, One Chosen by Fate. Seek out the mentor and the scroll. They shall guide you on your quest"

All the voices vanished and Harry stood in the silent room staring into nothing, a shiver of fear running up his spine.


	3. Chapter 3: Nightwings Ascendant

**Beyond the Gathering Storm**

By AlbusSeverusGryffindor

Author's Note: Thanks to everyone whose been reading. I finished this chapter early so I decided to post it now rather than wait. I'm not sure that I'll be posting anything in the next week with the holiday so enjoy.

**Chapter Two: Nightwings Ascendant**

**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

_"I've got bigger problems than detention. Somebody's coming closer, I can feel it."  
-----------------------------------------------------Harry Potter-GoF Movie Deleted Scene_

The night of October 31st was dark, cold and stormy. A fine misty rain fell from the dark sky overhead while forks of lighting split the sky followed by nearly deafening crashes of thunder. There had never been such a Halloween night in living memory and the weather kept those that would normally be about inside and close to their families. There was no one about and that was all to the good in the opinion of the solitary cloaked figure that moved down the street. It made for less people to witness his night's work on behalf of his master and he could not allow witnesses to survive with the knowledge of what they saw. Those were the orders of his master and he could not disobey because to disobey was to face a fate worse than death. He had permission to do whatever he liked with his victims but no one could know what he was doing. It was too dangerous both to himself and his master who was working in the shadows.

He grunted a little at the memory of his first encounter with the lastest Dark Lord to ascend to power. Dark Lord Ammon was a surprisingly young wizard, nearly a child barely of age and his seeming youth had surprised Aidan when they'd first met. He was a very charismatic figure and the power that seemed to roll off of him was almost intoxicating. Still being talked down to by someone who was at least half his age as if he knew neither his own job nor his place in the scheme of things had angered him, though not enough to go against his masters wishes. He was a professional, a trained and bonded killer and he knew the rules of his job far better than some two-bit crackpot blood magician with allusions of grandeur and world domination. He'd been at this job for longer than the young upstart had been alive and he was very nearly untraceable to boot. Sometimes he wondered why he'd joined the ranks of this latest Dark Lord whose name he didn't even remember half the time if the tone of the orders he received rankled him this much. He certainly wasn't doing it for the money or the company neither of which he cared for.

Dark Lord Ammon had appeared on the scene almost from the moment the previous Dark Lord had fallen at the hands of Harry Potter the so called 'Chosen One'. He or she, Aidan was never sure which it was half the time, had been quietly gathering followers under his banner over the last two or so years completely under the noses of the newly reorganized Auror Department. Some had been follows of Voldemort and they looked at Ammon as if he were Voldemort reincarnated.Others were people who'd lost power within the ministry when the new Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shaklebolt, began to reconstruct it and ended the corruption there. Still others were people like Aidan who'd lost everything in the war or else the ruffians that seemed to always be drawn to those in power.

Aidan looked up and down the street with both his eyes and his magic to make sure no one had followed him. After ascertaining that was completely alone he pulled off his invisibility cloak and walked calmly toward the target's house. He could feel the Polyjuice potion finishing it's work and he could hear the man's children talking loudly in excitement as they saw him. He ran a hand through his short brown hair and drew his targets wand from a pocket. The mudbloods would not know what hit them until it was too late, the pathetic fools.

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The chanting rose and fell around the small group of witches and wizards that had gathered on this windy moor to watch the ritual that would farther empower their new leader. Dark Lord Ammon stood in the center of the circle of his closest followers waiting for the exact moment the power transfer would begin. Their gray robes stirred in the light breeze that was inside the shields around the ritual area and every face within the circle seemed to be transfixed on Ammon as he made several passes over the crowd with his hands and began to chant softly. A reddish glow covered those within the circle and those that stood without watching could feel the power coming from the circle before them. They began to take up the chant as well, echoing what had been said back at those in circle strengthening the spell with their own magics. After several moments the chanting rose into a crescendo and at that exact moment lightening split the sky above them and there was a deafening peel of thunder. A pillar of white hot light entered the circle and surrounded Ammon with it's light and he could feel magical and life energy flow into him from those who his minions had been sent to slay that night. The chanting continued for a few moments more until a second clap of thunder sounded and it ended. The wind beyond the shield began to pick up and a sheet of rain fell heavily from the sky, though those inside the circle were totally oblivious to the violence of the storm outside it.

Ammon stood there with his eyes closed, feeling the power of blood magic intensify as it seemed to set fire to his veins and the life energy of his victims added years to his own life. He smiled, a cold, cruel smile that held nothing of mercy or forgiveness in it. His cold, icy blue eyes opened to gaze upon his followers and his tenor voice stretched out to encompass them all.

"The time draws ever closer, my friends. Soon we shall take back what is rightfully ours and we shall send those pitifully weak creatures of the Light into the exile of eternal darkness. We shall be victorious at long last."

His voice, soft and silky warm, carried over the crowd that had gathered before him so that even those at the very fringes of the crowd heard him clearly. His strangely glowing amber eyes scanned the crowd and to seemed to pierce through the souls of everyone there and he could feel their fear and excitement. He shook back his red gold mane of hair and his cruel smile widened.

"We shall make them into our slaves unable to act of their own free will anymore for their sins against us. We shall see them suffer as we have suffered and they shall know the depths of pain and despair."

The crowd around him began to cheer and to chant his name. Ammon's smile widened still farther, showing slightly pointed teeth. He scanned the crowd again and felt satisfied in his followers response. He would continue his own masters work. He would cleanse the wizarding world of the taint of muggles and filthy half-bloods. Most of all he would bring down the one who had defeated Voldemort. Harry Potter would be made to suffer most of all for his transgressions. Ammon promised himself and his former master that. The 'Chosen One' would stand no chance against him not when he was in control of such a wonderful and powerful gift. He had already tasted of the powers of the 'Chosen One' once and he would not rest until that power was his.

He had not even been aware of his ability to siphon off the powers and life force of others until that final battle between Voldemort's forces and the defenders of Hogwarts. At the time he remembered thinking that perhaps this strange ability was merely the result of the ambient magic around the venerable and ancient seat of magic. He'd certainly never felt anything like it before and he'd killed hundreds of folk both magical and muggle. He even believed for a brief moment that he was imagining it and that it was something temporary. Fortunately he's been wrong on both counts.

As the battle had waged around him he'd begun to draw power from the dead around him without being consciously aware of the fact. Halfway through the the battle he remembered feeling both his energy and magical power heighten to the point that he was able to continue fighting even when the Death Eaters around him seemed to exhausted to continue. He hadn't wanted to stop fighting even when the order came directly from Lord Voldemort himself to withdraw for an hour to give both Hogwarts and 'Chosen One' an opportunity to surrender to their superior forces.

When the Dark Lord succeeded in actually killing Potter, who refused to even raise a wand in his own defense like a spineless coward, Ammon had received an overwhelming amount of power as a result and that was how he knew for certain that the 'Chosen One', the last hope of the Light had finally fallen. Whatever magics had been used, whatever deal Potter had cut with Death itself, the fact remained that he had been undeniably dead at that moment and he should have remained so. There was no spell that Ammon knew of, and he knew a great many, that could return someone who was dead to their previous state as Potter seemed to have been that day. As far as he knew there was no way of cheating death and yet Potter had managed to once again do the impossible. It was as if even basic rules and principles of magic did not apply and had no hold over the 'Chosen One' at all. This troubled Ammon greatly because is singled out Potter as a threat to him in much the same way he'd been a threat to Voldemort. There were, after all, those disturbing rumors that Harry Potter was far more than just the 'Chosen One'. It was being whispered that he was, in fact, the 'Master of Death' itself and the keeper of the three Deathly Hallows: The Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone and the Cloak of Invisibility.

This was very troubling and Ammon frowned as he studied the members of his inner circle who looked nervously back at their Lord and Master wondering what they had done to earn his displeasure. He ignored them completely. This would bare long and careful study. He needed to know his enemy inside and out before making a move or attempting to bend or break him to his will. Voldemort had never bothered to find out everything he could about his enemy and that was what had caused his downfall. He had claimed to know Harry Potter better than the boy had known himself since they were so closely intertwined but the connection forged when the Killing Curse had failed but he had been woefully mistaken. Ammon would not fall into the same trap. He would study his prey before attacking him directly and in order to do that he would have to remain in the shadows for a bit longer. It would not do for Potter or the Aurors he worked for to know of his existence quite this early so he would create decoys and distractions for the time being. Then he would have the 'Chosen One' and all of his powers at his mercy and when he did there would be no one left to stand against him.

He smiled a cold, mirthless smile and made a motion with his hand. All of his followers and himself apparated from the ritual stone back to their stronghold leaving the moor as silent and windswept as it had been before their arrival.

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The storm continued to rage around number 12 Grimmauld Place but Harry Potter, asleep in one of the upper floor bedrooms, was totally unaware of the bright flashes of light or the sheets of rain that were pounding against his window loud enough to wake the dead. He lay on his bed twitching slightly in his sleep and uttering low moans. His pale face was covered in a thin sheen of sweat and his scar seemed to stand out more so than normal. He tossed and turned in his bed clearly in the throws of a nightmare.

_He was standing in front of the Burrow the dark night causing the fire in and around the building to seem to glow with power. He stood as if frozen, unable to move as he saw the events played out around him though his squad of Aurors were seen flinting about the area. His heart pounded in his chest and finally released from his paralyzed state, he ran toward the building intent on rescuing the only 'family' he had left but when he reached the house that had been his home over so many summers he found the area around it strewn with the bodies of the Weasley's. He could hear himself scream into the night as he fell to the ground next to Ginny. _

_"No! No. All this is supposed to be over now. Voldemort is gone. Why? Why now? Please stop this. Hurt me, kill me instead."_

_An chant began to rise around him and he looked up automatically searching for the Dark Mark but there was none._

He moaned again and began to twitch violently, magic glowing around him and his wand vibrating on the beside table.

_He could hear the sound of screaming and smelled the stench of death all around him as he crouched behind a low wall. He could hear Ivanova moaning in pain nearby but he could do nothing for her at the moment. They had been ambushed on a routine mission, surrounded by unknown cloaked figures that had appeared as if drawn from the very mist around them. He felt a hand on his shoulder and jerked around. It was Mason and his dark eyes held a hint of fear in them._

_"We have to move. Three of us are down. We need to get to the apparation point and try to save them. There is nothing more you can do, Potter. Let's go."_

_Harry nodded and they fled the field._

The magic around him flared to life, a jet of silver and gold light shot from his wand. All the candles in the room flared into life around him. For the briefest of moments a silvery stag appeared in the room only to vanish in a shower of sparks.

_A cold wind swept through him, cutting through the material of his torn robes and burnt cloak as he walked toward a strange shadowy figure in a dark cloak its hood up to hide his features. _

_"How kind of you to join me. " a light tenor voice said._

_Harry looked around the area carefully. The moor around them seemed empty save for the two of them but looks as he well knew could be deceiving. He could feel the residual magics around him and he shivered at the almost sensual touch._

_"The others are not here and will not come unless called. Surely an Auror such as yourself knows the rules of parley." Pointed teeth shone at him as the man smiled._

_His green eyes narrowed and he fingered the wand in his pocket to give him courage. He knew those rules far better than anyone but still he did not trust the man before him._

_"You offered no other choice to me, to us. I will not let this continue. "_

_The shadowy man chuckled darkly._

_" __**You**__ will not allow? I am the one in control here not you. Tell them they have but a half hour to decide and if they will not then..." He gave Harry a sadistic smile._

_Harry shivered knowing what the man meant and his voice was soft but very sure and determined as he fingered his wand again._

_"Take me then. I offer you my own life in exchange."_

_There was a flash of light and then nothing._

Harry jerked awake, sweat pouring off of him and his heart beating in rapid cadence inside his chest. He clutched his chest and tried to still his panting. Kreacher appeared almost at once and he blinked dazedly at the house elf still half inside the nightmares.

"Master Harry is not sleeping well. Master Harry needs warm milk to help." The house elf left with a crack that caused Harry to jump a little. He returned moments later with the milk and some cookies on a tray and set them on the bedside table.

"Thank you, Kreacher." Harry's voice sounded far away and Kreacher looked up sharply at his master, his wrinkled face more wrinkled for the concern on it. His master had been having regular nightmares for the last several weeks now and it concerned him greatly.

"Does not do to dwell on things, Master. You should tell the others, you should."

Harry glanced at the elf in surprise wondering suddenly how much the elf knew. He'd never said a word to Kreacher about what had happened during his test a few weeks ago so he was surprised the elf had noticed anything unusual.

"I don't want to worry them, Kreacher."

"It is always that way, Master. Keeping to yourself things that should be released." He looked at Harry again closely. "You should tell them. They are worried already and it does your soul no good."

His eyes widened at the elf and he nodded. Kreacher knew him far better than most. Kreacher had been the one to care for him during the time just after the Battle of Hogwarts and knew how much he dwelled on things past. Kreacher had seen him at his lowest point and had helped him through most of it when Harry had not wanted to burden his friends with his problems. The elf was right of course. Maybe he would tell them but for now he needed to sleep. He had a long day tomorrow. He drank the milk, which Kreacher had laced with a potion of dreamless sleep and felt sleep overcome him again. He sank back into the bed and Kreacher smiled at the relaxed look on his face.

"Peaceful sleep to you, Master Harry. " said the old house elf as he closed the door of the room and headed to his own bed in a room nearby.

No dreams disturbed Harry's sleep the rest of the night and by morning his nightmares lay forgotten in the back of his mind.


	4. Chapter 4: Questions and Answers

Before the Gathering Storm

By: AlbusSeverusGryffindor

Author's Note: Here is the next installment. I own nothing just the plotline. Everything else belongs to JKR. Enjoy.

**Chapter 3: Questions and Answers**

_

* * *

The world around us won't reveal it's true self, _

_It just keeps forcing new truths upon us every day. _

**---------------------------------------------Information- Es Otherwise Opening Song**

* * *

Ginny Weasley stood outside the Leaky Cauldron and waited for her finance to appear. Harry, who had never enjoyed the fame that had been thrust upon him at an early age and for whom that fame had become a burden since the fall of Voldemort, often chose muggle means for his arrival at the nexus between the two worlds he'd grown up in rather than the standard floo. Ginny stood against the wall of the old pub and scanned the crowd for some sign of Harry, her hands deep in the pockets of her coat to keep them warm on this unseasonable cold day. She looked at her watch and a small frown creased her face. Harry was late. Not by much but he was hardly ever late for one of their rare moments together and he was the one that called for this particular meeting. 

She felt fear grip her for a moment as she slipped back into the mindset of a few years previous for a moment before her fear receeded slightly. There was surely nothing for her to worry about. Harry could take care of himself and they had been at peace for two years now. Most of Voldemort's old supporters were either captured or fled after all so there was no one really would be out for Harry's blood anymore. But if that were true then why did she feel so uneasy and out of sorts? Why was her mind slipping back into the mindset of two years ago so readily? Was she perhaps sensing something in the air that maybe others besides Harry had not yet noticed? She scanned the crowd again with no better result than before. She sighed and began to tap her foot in agitation. Where was he anyway and why had he asked her, Ron and Hermione to meet him here of all places? What was going on? Was there some kind of trouble?

Her fear returned but once again she shook it off thinking that she was merely being a silly little girl to jump at shadows that weren't there. Still there was something weighing heavily on Harry's mind and it had something to do with his Auror test a few weeks previous. Once again he was wearing that brooding, hooded expression he'd so often worn during their Hogwarts years when he was dealing with something related to Voldemort. She and the others had seen that expression to often to mistake it for anything else and everyone was wondering what was troubling him now. Quite frankly they were worried about him, thinking that perhaps being an Auror might not have been the best career choice for him under the circumstances. Hermoine was a great supporter of that theory though Ginny felt quite sure Harry was brooding for another, more sinister reason.

"There shouldn't be anything to trouble him now," she mused as she searched the crowd again with still no sign of the one she sought. "We're at peace now. The war is long over and he can finally live his own life. But if that were true then why had he been so withdrawn during the celebratory dinner her, Ron and Hermione had planned for him the night he been made a full Auror. Everyone noticed it, even the members of his squad who had not known him for as long as the others noticed. Did something happen during the test to cause..."

Her musings ended when she spotted Harry through the crowd and she waved at him. She nearly ran to him but held herself steady until he reached her. She smiled a brillant smile up at him and took his hand, her eyes glowing with happiness. All trace of worry or fear was gone from them now. Harry pulled her close and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips, a promise of things to come, and twined his hands in her long, red hair.

"Sorry to make you worry. Robards stopped me as I was leaving to congratulate me on my latest case." He grinned sheepishly and ran a hand nervously through his hair.

"That's quite all right, Harry but lets get inside before Ron eats all the food in the place. I'm starved and it's freezing out here." She looked into his eyes and noticed fear and worry in them. Her heart skipped a beat and her fears returned tenfold.

He took her hand again and pushed open the door behind him, a wave of warm air hitting them both as he did so. The room's patrons froze for a moment as they stood framed in the doorway, then they resumed their interupted activities though they watched the two as they passed. How could they not when news of Harry Potter's engagement to Ginny Weasley had been in the papers for weeks now, had been the talk of everyone for months and when the two of them were the most famous couple in the wizarding world at the moment? He was famous for his survival of the Killing Curse and for being the 'Chosen One' who'd brought about Voldemort's demise and she was famous for being the best Chaser the Holyhead Harpies had seen in years despite her youth.

Ginny ignored her fame for the most part but did pause long enough to autograph a few slips of parchment for some young fans of her's with a smile. Harry followed suit, though he was loath to do so because he did not feel he deserved all the attention. He was famous for something anyone else in his position could have done with better results than he'd had and as for stopping Voldemort's first power bid as a mere child of one, that had more to do with his mother's sacrifice than anything he'd done. He felt a pang of guilt for a moment but covered it with a smile of his own.

After a wave to the crowd in general, they both vanished down a long corridor that ended in a private dining room they often used so that they could eat without being interupted by others. Ron and Hermione were already there, kissing as if their very lives depended on it. Ron's hand was tangled in Hermione's bushy brown hair and she was sitting in his lap. Both their eyes were closed and Hermione's hand was resting on Ron's chest. Harry couldn't help the grin that pulled at his mouth at the sight of his two best friends snogging and he looked over at Ginny to see a similar grin on her face.

He felt some of the worry leave him as he watched them a moment, the grin still plastered across his face. Ever since they'd admitted their feelings for one another in the midst of the Battle of Hogwarts Harry and occasional others would find the two of them snogging at every available opprotunity. In fact, Harry had caught them at it just this afternoon in a rarely used elevator at the Ministry. It was almost as if they were trying to make up for years of lost time and maybe they were. He could completely understand how they felt since he'd wasted precious time with Ginny himself.

"Maybe we should leave them to it, " he said softly to her.

Ginny shook her head and her eyes glinted with mischief worthy of her elder brother George. She tiptoed over to where the couple sat oblivious to anyone else in the room. After moving to stand behind them and adopting a very Molly Weasleyish air she said.

"Would you two mind getting a room. Some of us would like to eat."

The two jumped apart as if burned and their faces turned red. They looked so ruffled and guilty that Harry had to burst out laughing at the looks on their faces. After glaring at him a moment, first Hermione and then Ron began to laugh too. Ginny smirked but after a moment she joined in the laughter. After several minutes, during which Ron somehow managed to topple of his chair knocking both himself and Hermione to the floor and renewing their now silent laughter, they calmed down enough to eat. Harry had a stitch in his side from laughing so much and felt relaxed as he had not done upon entering the room. Somehow all the laughter had released the tension he was feeling and he felt good about telling them what had happened during his test.

Ron gave his sister a mock angry glare. "Why'd you go and do that for anyway. A simple 'oi' would have sufficed you know or perhaps a knock."

"I was going for effect. Besides the look on both your faces when you thought it was Mum was priceless."

Ron muttered something about interfering siblings and Hermione shushed him while she dished out food for them both. Harry began to eat his own dinner but his mind was clearly elsewhere again. Once or twice during the course of the meal Ginny tried to draw him into their conversation but to no avail. The three looked at each other then at him and shrugged, leaving him to his own devices. They knew him well enough to know that he would eventually get around to telling them why he'd asked them all to meet him here.

Harry, for his part, watch the others closely, fingering a piece of parchment in his robe pocket as he did so. He'd received this letter from Hogwarts three days ago by owl but had not told anyone about it though he had dash off a reply to McGongall's request at once. In light of what he was about to tell them, he thought he letter might interest them. Before he let them see the letter though he was going to have to tell them what had happened and he was going to have to tell them all that he already suspected concerning this new threat. After tea and dessert had been brought to them all of them looked expectantly at him and he knew it was time.

"So what's all this about, Harry. Out of the blue you owl us three days ago asking to clear our calander and meet you here." Hermione's voice was steady but there was something in her eyes he hadn't seen since the Horcrux hunt.

"Yeah, what's up, mate?"

Harry took Ginny's hand and studied the cracked and pitted tabletop for a long moment before sighing a little in resignation and looking up at them again. His eyes were unreadable and his face was a bit paler than it had been before.The others noticed and gave Harry their full and undivided attention though Ron did take Hermione's hand in his own.

"I got a letter from Hogwarts a few days ago," he said softly. The others relaxed somewhat at his pronouncement but his serious air did not vanish with his words.

"Is something wrong at Hogwarts?" Ginny's voice was tense.

Harry shook his head and continued. "Everything is fine at Hogwarts but I thought you would be interested in the letter."

He set the parchment on the table in front of them and Hermione predictably was the one who took it.

"Before you read it though I need to tell you exactly what happened on the day of my final Auror test. I'm sorry to have kept it from you until now but I felt I needed more information than I had at the time. I don't think everything was finished when Voldemort fell. I think this is merely the calm before another storm. It looks like someone has taken his place and that I'm likely to be the first target for this new Dark Wizard."

He quickly told them about what he was thinking of as the Second Prophecy and everything he remember about what had happened during his test. He also told them about everything he'd heard about a mysterious set of unexplained deaths at the hands of person or persons unknown. The Daily Prophet had not reported them yet because of the fear they would cause so only those in the Auror Department and at the Prophet even knew about them. There were also whispers of strange doings near places where there were wizards or witches dwelling either in seclusion or among muggles. To their credit his three closest friends had not interupted him once as he spoke but once he was finished choas insued.

"Another Dark Wizard has made you his target? Oh, Harry how can you be so sure."

"It's like Voldemort all over again. We need to do something."

"Why does this always happen to you, mate? But Ginny's right maybe we should call in the Order or DA on this. "

"I don't know why this is happening but it makes perfect sense that I would be their target." He got up from his chair and started pacing the room. "I defeated Voldemort and he was the most powerful and dangerous Dark Wizard alive. Whoever this new Dark Lord is would know this and would therefore see me as a threat. He or she would want to deal with me first of all because without me everyone would lose hope."

They looked up at him sharply and he returned their stares with one of his own. He knew he was right though.

"You know it's true! Just look at the way everyone reacted to my 'death' before. There's no point in denying it maybe there was never a point for me to do so. I'm still a symbol of hope to everyone, as much as I hate to admit it, and if I were to die or be captured..."

He let the sentence hang there for a long moment before motioning to the letter that was still clenched and forgotten in Hermione's hand. Hermione stopped whatever she was about to say at the movement and stared in surprise at the parchment in her hand before unrolling it and beginning to read it aloud to the others.

_Dear Mr. Potter, _

_I am very pleased to hear of your recent graduation from Auror Training. Mr. Robards assures me that you have maintained nothing but the highest scores during you training and have graduated with the highest honors ever given by the Auror Department. Let me assure I expected nothing less than the best from one of my former Gryffindors especially one of you powers and talents. I am happy for the part I played in guaranteeing you would reach you goal. Hogwarts extends it congratulations to you._

_This is not the only reason I have written you however. An old and very dear mentor of yours wishes to speak to you about something that may have just recently come to attention. He wishes you to return to Hogwarts so that he might speak to you at length about this recent developement and to offer you his advice on the matter if you would be so kind to accept it. He has asked me to inform the staff and students of you arrival and that your cover is that you have been invited to speak to the D.A.D.A. classes so you have a reason to visit._

_Please send you answer by this owl._

_Yours Sincerly, _

_Minerva McGongall_

_Headmistress- Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardery._

Hermione stopped reading and looked at Harry, while the other two looked on in silence.

"I'm going back to Hogwarts to see what Dumbledore knows. Maybe he can help me figure this out. I may not understand what is going on or why but I don't intend to allow whoever this is to destroy everything so many sacrificed their lives for. I intend to fight."


	5. Chapter 5: Return to Hogwarts

**Before the Gathering Storm**

_by AlbusSeverusGryffindor_

**Author's Note: **I don't own any of this except the plot. Enjoy

**Chapter 4: Return to Hogwarts**

_"Courage in the face of the unknown is a very important quality in a wizard...very important..." Goblet of Fire_

Harry apparated just outside of Hogsmeade and looked around carefully some part of his battle trained mind remembering his last visit to the quaint old village. At that time the village had been seized by Death Eaters and it's citizens forced into remaining in their homes after dark do to a Caterwauling Charm. Now everyone was free to go about their business whenever they pleased. Harry couldn't help but smile at the thought of how different things were now that they were in a time of relative peace. The people were happy and everything was back to normal again. The streets around the shabby pub were completely deserted though he could hear a commotion a street over from the general direction of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes Hogsmeade branch. His smile widened a little and he decided he might take the time, after his business at Hogwarts was finished, to look in on George and see how the Hogsmeade branch was faring. It had been a few months since he'd seen George and they'd had a good laugh over bottles of butterbeer remembering old times while still students at Hogwarts. He'd been very glad to see that George was doing better because it had taken him a long time to recover from Fred's death.

Since Fred's death during the Battle of Hogwarts George had been floundering both physically and emotionally. Harry could still see George's prone form over that of his twin and hear the strangled cries that had issued from his throat. Harry'd had trouble dealing with the death himself since it had occurred right in front of him to the point of not wanting to even enter the Great Hall where the body lay for fear of what the other Weasley's might say or do to him. He could only imagine how hard it had been for Fred's twin. The image of George reduced to that was burned forever into Harry's mind as was the stony cold silence George had employed over the next several months, the refusal to eat, sleep or even speak. Harry and the others feared he might well follow Fred into death. Nothing they tried seemed to register with George and Harry had found himself in the position of being the main comforter for the others even though he was in dire need of comforting himself.

Finally, when it seemed something must happen and after Harry had wallowed in his own guilt over Fred's death for several days, George came down for breakfast and while he was still refusing to speak to anyone he managed to eat. After a few more days be began to talk, first apologizing to everyone especially Harry for his cold rudeness. He didn't blame Harry, Ron, Percy or anyone else for Fred's death and he begged them not to feel guilty over it. It simply had been his time to go and it was high time that he, George, moved on with his life because Fred wouldn't have wanted his twin to mourn for long. There were too many pranks and jokes to be getting on with after all. A few days after this he started to tease Ron and Ginny about their romantic relationships with a trace of the old sparkle in his eyes again and a week later he was back at Weasley Wizard Wheezes inventing and working in the shop he and Fred had opened with financial help from Harry. No one had ever found out what caused George to snap out of his depression but they were all thankful that he seemed to be back to normal.

Harry couldn't suppress the grin on his face as he saw a couple of fireworks exploded overhead as he entered the Hogshead. As usual there were very few patrons at the old rundown pub, in fact there was no one in the Hogshead at all, but Aberforth smile and came over as he walked in.

"Long time no see, Harry." Aberforth's blue eyes, so much like his brother's twinkled a little and the old barkeep lead Harry to the bar. "What can I do for you?"

"I need a way to get up to the school that won't attract to much attention."

Aberforth nodded in understanding and, after locking the front door of the pub, he lead Harry up to his rooms over the bar where he lived. Harry noticed that nothing about the pub, the rooms above it or Aberforth had changed in the slightest. For a moment they looked at Arianna Dumbledore's portrait then she started to move away, a soft smile on her features.

"I never thanked you properly for what you did, Harry."

"Don't...It was nothing compared to the help we received from you that night. We would have been taken or killed without your quick thinking."

"Still going to be like that are we?" Aberforth gave Harry an odd look.

"Always. I still wish none of it had happened." Harry watched as Arianna slowly returned. He couldn't trust himself to look at Dumbledore's brother.

Aberforth clapped a hand to Harry's shoulder and smiled. "As do I but at least we're free and at peace again"

Harry nodded, wondering just how long peace would last if there really was a new Dark Lord on the rise, as the passage that lead to the Room of Requirement opened before him. He climbed into the passage and waved at Aberforth before moving along it. The passage was just as he remembered it and the candles within it appeared to light themselves as he passed. Halfway up the passage he stopped as memories washed over him. He could feel an echo of the fear that had become such a part of him at the time and could hear echoes of the word that had been spoken. It was here that Harry had realized just how far Neville had come from the shy, clumsy, insecure boy he had been as a first year and how instrumental he had been in that change. He smiled as he remembered how much Neville had sounded like him as he described what he and the DA had been up to in his absence. Somehow Neville's words had made him feel proud at the time and had given him strength to do what needed to be done.

He grinned and continued on his way until he reached the Room of Requirement itself. He remained there a few moments, once again letting memories wash over him. He saw the DA practice spells as he encouraged them, heard the echoes of their voices seem to bounce off the surrounding stone walls, saw the DA and the Order of the Phoenix gathered around him just before the start of the Battle of Hogwarts. He lost himself in the memories for a moment remembering every emotion he'd felt at the time then he blinked and the memories faded into nothing.

He let himself out and continued moving on autopilot toward what was now the Headmistress's office, careful not to make a sound or to draw attention to himself as he passed various classrooms that were in use. After what seemed like only seconds to Harry he found himself standing before the gargoyle that guarded McGonagall's office. He smiled down at it, recognizing it as the same on that had been heavily damaged during the battle.

"Dumbledore," he said very softly as the gargoyle leapt aside.

He took the stairs two at a time and soon found himself facing the all to familiar door with the silver griffin knocker upon it. He stared at the knocker a moment thinking of nothing in particular though more memories flooded his mind: meeting Dumbledore of the first time, thinking he had somehow been responsible for Fawkes suddenly bursting into flames, hearing the Prophecy, learning about Voldemort's past, learning through the pensieve that he carried a part of Voldemort's tattered soul within himself and all that revelation entailed, talking to Dumbledore's portrait after the battle was over. After a few seconds of contemplation the door opened and his old transfiguration professor stood framed in the doorway looking as stern as ever.

"I'm glad you're here, Mr. Potter, " she said, her eyes looking him over carefully and her thin mouth smiling slightly at him. He'd been one of her favorite students among the Gryffindors despite the trouble he always managed to get into. She had never told him this however. The closest she had ever come to letting him know was when she agreed to do whatever she could to ensure he would become an Auror.

"Good to see you, Professor." He grinned back at her. "Feels strange to be back here after...well after everything."

She nodded and lead the way into what was now her office. Very little about it had changed since he'd last been there. The circular room was still full of odd noises and unusual objects, the pensieve remained in the same cabinet it had resided in during Dumbledore's time as Headmaster and the portraits still hung all around the room. The occupants of those portraits all seemed to be asleep, snoring gently in their frames. Harry looked around at them all with a smile remembering how they had applauded him after his victory against Voldemort.

A few of the portraits opened their eyes and nodded at him almost as soon as the door behind him closed. He nodded politely back and sat down in the chair he'd nearly always occupied when in this particular office. Professor McGonagall moved around the desk and sat down facing him. Harry experience a brief moment of deja vu as he looked across the desk at her and once again he was assailed by memories of times he spent here with Dumbledore. At the precise moment Dumbledore opened his eyes and he looked at Harry for a second though he did not speak as yet.

"What is it you wished to speak to me about?" Harry addressed this question to Dumbledore's portrait rather than the Headmistress and he sounded resigned.

"It would seem that your story is not yet at an end, Harry." Dumbledore's eyes were not twinkling and his voice sounded grave. "And for that I am dreadfully sorry."

"We believe that there may be a new Dark Lord on the rise. There have been several reports of mysterious deaths or disappearances of late. Several highly placed people within the Ministry have been attacked or killed." McGonagall's voice was likewise grave.

Harry nodded. He knew about this of course. He'd been the one to make the connection between all the apparently unrelated deaths when he'd noticed that all the victims seemed to have been drained of all their magic and life force.

"We believe," continued Dumbledore "that whoever this Dark Lord is his next target will likely be you"

Harry was unsurprised by this news. "I am everyone's hope, the 'Chosen One', Vanquisher of Voldemort."

Both professors nodded and Dumbledore continued, "Have you heard of a litch, Harry?"

Harry thought a moment, sorting through various bits of information that he'd studied in the last two year as well as his six years at Hogwarts. "Aren't they dark creatures with the power to drain the life energy of others? No one's seen or heard of one in hundreds of years and many wizards believe them to be extinct."

Dumbledore and McGonagall exchanged a glance.

"We believe this new Dark Lord to be a litch that steals not only the life force of his victims but their magic energy as well."

Harry's face drained of all color and his eyes darted between the two professors in disbelief and a little fear. "You can't be serious. That's not possible..."

They looked at him and he couldn't remember them having ever looked so grave and sad, not even when Voldemort was at the height of his powers. He looked between them again not bothering to hide the fear their statement had filled him with.

"From all indications and from what information we've managed to gather this is the only logical assumption we can make. However impossible or improbable, it seems we are indeed facing a force that hasn't made itself known in the last several hundred years." Dumbledore's voice carried a hint of fear as well. "And that makes this new Dark Lord even more dangerous then all the previous ones combined.

Harry looked down at his hands, which were clenched into fists then back at the two professors. His eyes were shadowed, almost haunted as memories of the last war flooded his mind. "And you expect me to fight him?"

"He will attack you, probably sooner rather than later. He wants no obstacles between himself and his conquest of the wizarding world. I'm afraid your powers represent such an obstacle that he cannot afford to ignore to say nothing of the blow to the Light side it would be to lost you." Dumbledore's voice was apologetic.

Harry sighed heavily and shook his head. He could not deny the truth of Dumbledore's words though. As the Boy Who Lived had experienced a certain amount of fame, both good and bad. He'd already become a symbol of hope to the wizarding world and that fame and hope had only grown exponentially when he was declared the Chosen One destined to vanquish Voldemort. Since he'd done so his fame had skyrocketed and the people had place even more of their trust and hope on him. He was all to aware of the effect his death would have on the wizarding population to say nothing of the fact that the Elder Wand's allegiance would then transfer itself to yet another Dark Wizard with the potential to be even darker than Voldemort had been.

"And again, despite my best efforts, trouble still manages to find me." McGonagall and Dumbledore grinned wryly at him and nodded.

"So it would seem." McGonagall's tone suggested that she too wished it was otherwise but it looked as if the wizarding world would need to call upon it's savior yet again. She only hoped he would rise to the challenge as he had in the past because if he couldn't then they were all doomed.

"How can I fight someone who can drain both my powers and my life energy? Fighting this litch is not going to be like fighting Voldemort who was at least human with more common powers." He looked at the two of them again and McGonagall pushed a small, silver key across the desk to him. He looked at the key and then back at his former professors.

"The answer to that question is kept in vault 705 at Gringotts."


	6. Chapter 6: Scroll of Ages

_**Before the Gathering Storm**_

_**by Albus Severus Gryffindor**_

**Author's note:**

**Chapter 5: Scroll of Ages**

_I've been living for so long. Many seasons have passed me by.- Jillian-Within Temptation_

The sun beat down on Harry as he apparated in front of Gringotts. He hadn't been there in ages, not since the time two years previous when he and the others had returned there to offer their help in repairing the bank after Voldemort's defeat. Seeking to avoid the crowds of people that gathered where ever he went he avoided Diagon Alley most of the time and dealt with supplies and his accounts via owl unless his presence was absolutely required. No one could see him, hidden as he was within the folds of his Invisibility Cloak, as he walked down the main street of the magical shopping district and no one would see him until he arrived in one of the goblins' private offices. It had been agreed upon by Dumbledore and McGonagall before he'd departed the Headmistress's office. The risk was to great that this new Dark Lord might be seeking the same object they were and that he might realize that Harry was making a move to acquire it for the Light side. Since Harry was already a likely target for this madman he had to agree with this assessment. He watched everyone around him carefully and kept his wand at the ready as he moved silently through the crowd, trusting to his battle trained senses to warn him of any danger nearby.

He passed through the goblins guarding the polished silver doors and into the bank proper where he paused for a moment in an empty corner looking around for the familiar shape of Griphook, whom he did not like but trusted anyway. He watched as several people and goblins passed in front of him before finally spying Griphook returning through the door that lead to the higher security vaults. He worked his way through the press of people and spoke softly in the goblin's ear.

"Griphook, I need a private word with Dragak, please."

Griphook nodded slightly and continued walking as if no one had spoken. This was fine with Harry as he didn't want to attract the amount of attention that his arrival at Gringotts or anywhere public for that matter would cause. The goblin lead him down a long torch-lite corridor with may doors at intervals along the wall. Griphook stopped several times to speak to a few goblins they encountered along the way. Harry recognized the corridor as the one he'd been lead down before when he'd come to Gringotts a few weeks after the Battle of Hogwarts to claim the inheritance of the various properties and vaults belonging to the Potters and Blacks. By a strange twist of fate he'd also had a claim to a portion of the LeStrange's vault, which he'd handed over to Andromeda Tonks for Teddy to inherit on his coming of age. Most of the wealth he'd received from his parents and Sirius was being used to help families divided by the war in locating missing loved ones or at least finding out information about them if they were dead and to help the children left orphaned by the Second War. It was the least Harry could do and it helped ease the guilt in his heart over the deaths that he still felt responsible for. It didn't seem to matter how many times he was told that all the deaths weren't possibly his fault, he still blamed himself. If only he'd managed to track down and destroy all the Horcruxes sooner, if only he'd surrendered himself the first time Voldemort had called for it. Maybe all those lives would have been spared.

Griphook lead him into an opulent office and Harry took the Cloak off, draping it over his arm. The elderly goblin didn't appear to be surprised when Harry suddenly appeared in front of him. He gave Harry a toothy grin and motioned for him to take a seat.

"Good Morning, Mr. Potter. How may we be of assistance?" Dragak, who was his account manager as he had been his parents before him inclined his Head slightly in a show of respect between equals which Harry returned.

Harry eyed both goblins carefully before pushing a small silver key across the desk to Dragak. "I need access to whatever vault this key belongs to and permission to withdraw whatever is inside. It's at the request of Albus Dumbledore."

Dragak's eyes widened as he studied the key a moment. After discovering that the key was genuine and that it was keyed to Harry's magical signature he gave Harry a serious look. " The object in the vault is not to be removed except in dire circumstances. The power that it holds is vast and in the wrong hands it could destroy the very balance between good and evil, between Light and Dark."

"You know I would never cause harm to befall the magical realm and my actions on it's behalf are proof of my words" Harry stated this simply, knowing that the goblin's knew to what he was referring to without having to go into detail.

Dragak looked deeply into Harry's eyes and sensed the truth and sincerity of his words. He knew that somehow Harry was the one destined to acquire the Relics of Light. There was something about it the way his magical signature was pulsing that indicated that he'd accepted the burden of the being the one to lead the search for and to unite the Relics at long last. It appeared that the time had finally come for the goblins to relinquish their bonded duty to the forces of Light and release the treasure they had been asked so many generations ago to guard with their lives. He nodded at Harry and rose, motioning for Harry to follow him. He ran a finger along the wall behind his desk which melted to reveal an archway. He lead Harry down a rough stone passage lite with torches placed at intervals along the walls. There was the sound of dripping water in the distance and the corridor itself was damp and chill. No one seemed to have been down it in quite some time judging by the amount dust on the floor.

The passage narrowed after a few minutes so the three of them had to walk in single file. Harry could feel magic brushing against his own in several places along the passage and occasionally he felt as if eyes were watching him. It took all of his concentration not to lash out with his battle trained reflexes or to try and see who or what was watching and testing him. He understood all to readily that this was some kind of test or maybe even security measures designed to entrap the unworthy. He continued to walk down the passage, his face calm and his body relaxed despite the fact the passage was unnerving him a bit.

Finally, after what felt like hours of walking, the passage opened up into a vast circular room so tall that the light from Harry's wand could not reach the ceiling. In the center of the room was a huge pillar created by the joining of a stalactite and stalagmite that was glowing with a soft green glow. Harry's eyes roamed over the room, which he noticed contained seven doors. They were all black with no adornment and had old fashioned silver and glass doorknobs that shown palely in the faint light.

The two goblins turned to look at Harry and Dragak handed him back the silver key. The goblin lead Harry passed the first six doors until they were standing before the seventh, which seemed to shimmer before his eyes.

"Only the rightful possessor of the key may open this door and pass through it to the Chamber within." His black eyes held Harry's green ones and his voice was serious. "Once you are inside the room will seal itself against outside interference. You have only to hold the object within the room and you will return to my office. Good Luck, Harry Potter."

Griphook and Dragak left Harry standing in front of the faintly glowing door taking their lantern with them. Harry stood irresolutely before the door for several moments, feeling fear thrum through his very being and wondering what exactly Dumbledore was getting him into this time. He'd agreed to fight this new Dark Lord because it was the right thing to do and because he was already involved in the case anyway. He only hoped that whatever weapon or weapons lay hidden beyond the door would really help him in the coming battle. He was going to need some edge or protection against this Dark Lord that could drain magical energy and he knew of no way to stop such an attack. Nothing in any of his training had prepared him for this. He had to admit that the thought of facing this new threat scared him more than facing Voldemort and his Death Eaters. They had merely be after his life but this new threat was after far more. He could not allow this litch to wreck havoc within the magical world.

He squared his shoulders and inserted the key in the lock, giving it a quarter turn as he did so. The door opened soundlessly and a billow of red dust flew from the room as soon as air made contact with the inside of it. The room beyond was dark and only vague shapes could be discerned within it. Harry moved forward into the darkness, which became complete when the door he'd passed through shut behind him just as soundlessly as it had opened. He could feel the tingle of magic in the air as he passed through the doorway and it intensified as he entered the room.

He looked back at the door to find it had vanished. He frowned a moment and looked in front of him again. there was a sudden noise behind him and his wand jumped into his hand at the sound which sounded like footsteps and the brush of a cloak on the stone floor. He pointed his wand in the direction the sound had come from and spent several moments in tense expectation and silence. His senses where on alert now and he waited calmly for something to happen but when nothing did he lowered his wand again.

"Harry Potter..." The voice sounded close to his ear and Harry felt a shiver of fear run up his spine. He whipped his head around toward the sound of the voice that was still calling his name faintly.

"Whose there?" his voice echoed around the seemingly empty room. His heart was pounding painfully in his chest but he gave no outward appearance of fear. He felt this was a test of his courage and bravery.

"Chosen One...Vanquisher of Voldemort...Master of Death...The-One-Who-Lives-Again...Destiny's Chosen...What it it that you seek, Gryffindor Seeker?"

Harry gaped at the voice and thought furiously. What was he seeking? Why had Dumbledore sent him here?

"I seek the Scroll and the Relics. The time has come for them to be reunited." His voice rang out firmly, though Harry had no idea how he knew this. It was almost as if someone else was speaking for him, like they were prompting him with the correct things to say. Despite this he felt instantly relaxed and even excited.

"If you are the one chosen to seek the Relics of Light then the Scroll of Ages shall be yours."

"I am." Again his voice was confident and sure.

"Why do you seek them, Child of the Seventh Family?"

Harry paused at the mention of the Seventh Family. There were currently seven powerful pureblood families in the magical world: The Weasleys, the Malfoys, the Blacks, the Longbottoms. He was unaware that he was a member of one of the Seven Great Families since he never had bothered to learn much about his family's history beyond the names of his parents. Briefly he wondered if his own status as a half-blood would interfer with the standing of the Potters within the Circle of Seven but all though was pushed aside as he was prompted once again with an answer to the mysterious voices question.

"To stop an evil greater even than Voldemort from cloaking the land in shadow and fear forever."

"Come forward then and claim what is rightfully yours, Scion of Light, first in power among wizard kind."

Harry stood silent for a moment as the room around him began to grow lighter until he could see a plinth with a small silver chest upon it. A bejeweled key hung suspended in a pillar of light to the left of the chest. Harry studied the chest and the key for several moments, searching for traps and acclimating himself to the magic within and around both. He could feel eyes staring at him intently and he resisted the urge to look around him or draw his wand as if the invisible observers were foes.

He walked slowly forward as something in his magic began to resonant with the magic around him, as if it were a missing part of himself that he only half remembered missing. He could hear a soft buzzing in the back of his mind and he couldn't tell if he was hearing words or a song or a mixture of both. He could feel the wand in its holster grow warm and felt an answering warmth spread form his magical core throughout his body. For some reason he felt more relaxed now then he could ever remember feeling and not even the feeling of being watched nor fear of facing the unknown bothered him anymore. Somehow he knew exactly what he must do. He stretched out his hand toward the key, saw the protections around it shimmer slightly as they came into contact with his own protections and magic, felt something within his magic resonate with the magic around the key, and took the key into his hand.

For a moment information flashed across his mind. He knew why the key was protected as it was, what the goblins had been charged with guarding all these centuries. He saw the weavings of the the protections around this room though not who'd been responsible for them. He saw images of the objects he must find if he ever hoped to defeat this stealer of magic and why he was the one Destiny had chosen for the task. All this information entered his mind so swiftly that he barely had time to register what had happened before it was over and he found himself holding the small, bejeweled key only vaguely aware of how it had come to be in his hand.

He turned the key over and over in his hand for a moment, watching the jewels sparkle in the light, seemingly entranced by it. Then everything seemed to snap into focus and he looked at the chest. He fitted the key into the lock and felt a small flare of power as the chest opened of its own accord. Inside was an ancient parchment scroll laying in what appeared to be a pool of golden light. Harry stared at the scroll and the pool surrounding it, once more transfixed by the magic emanating from it as it resonated with his own. No words, memories, images or sounds accompanied this rush of power. Instead a sense of complete rightness moved over him. Carefully he reached his hand into the chest expecting the golden liquid light within it to stop him as a similar green liquid had once prevented Dumbledore and himself from retrieving what they thought was Slytherin's locket from a basin. He meet no resistance though. His hand passed through the golden liquid and as he touched the roll of parchment images began to fill his mind: A shining sword, a crystal staff, a glowing jewel. a golden goblet and a shield of platinum. The Relics of Light seemed to call to him through the magical connection that had been formed between them and himself.

These images burned in his mind, so clear and real to him that he reached out a hand to touch them. Then the images faded into nothing, He stood there blinking in confusion as shadows moved across his field of vision, taking the memory of what he'd just seen from him until it was needed again. He shook his head and took the scroll from the chest and as he did so he found himself back in Dragak's office once more.

He looked at the goblin in surprise, now completely confused as to how he'd gotten there. The roll of parchment was held loosely in his right hand and Dragak smiled when he saw this.

"Looks like you've managed to win the Scroll from it's guardians. Guard it with your very life and soul. The Dark One must never know you have claimed it. If He should learn of it he would first use you to retrieve the Relics since He cannot touch them, then He would have you destroy them and then torture and kill you by taking first you power and then your life. You would be like a feast to him." The goblin's dark eyes held Harry's once more.

"I will do so." Harry's voice was soft but there was a hint of conviction in it as well. "I understood the danger before I came here. Having already risked much in battling the Dark, I am willing to do so again if necessary. I cannot allow Darkness to reign again or all I have already done will be in vain."

Dragak nodded and held out his hand. "We shall do all we can to aid you in the future but for now, as our business is concluded, we should part."

Harry took the goblin's hand and shook it before giving both of them a bow. He disappeared once more under his Cloak and left Gringotts without a backward glance, never noticing the Watcher who'd disappeared to make his report to Dark Lord Ammon, an evil smile on his face. Very soon his master would have all the power he needed to take over the magical world and Potter, Wizard of Light, was going to hand it to him.


	7. Chapter 7: Creeping Darkness

_**Before the Gathering Storm**_

_**By A.S. Gryffindor**_

**Author's note: **I feel the need to apologize for the long overdue update of BtGS. There have been lots of things going on in real life that have prevented me from updating as often as I would like plus I'm having all kinds of writer's block with this story for some reason. Hope you all enjoy this update.

**Chapter 6: Creeping Darkness**

_"The day is ending/The night descending"- _Afternoon in February- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The man lay on the floor moaning piteously but his moans of agony fell on deaf ears. Ammon glared down at him with no mercy or pity in his strange bluish-amber eyes.

"You say someone has already taken it?" the voice was as cold as the dark steel of the ritual dagger in the Dark Lord's left hand.

The man whimpered when the knife caught the torchlight and he struggled to move away. Ammon was quicker. The man was soon bound to an alter-like table and the dagger he'd been so desperate to avoid was hovering inches from his terror filled eyes. He was going to die for his failure, he could see it reflected in the Dark Lord's eyes.

"You have failed me for the last time, Avery but you may redeem yourself if you can tell me who took the scroll and where they are now." Ammon's voice was colder than the coldest winter night.

Avery whimpered again and shook his head frantically, his eye never leaving the ritual dagger that was in the Dark Lord's hand. Ammon smiled down at him, cold fury in his eyes as he forced his way into Avery's mind. After a few seconds Avery's eyes dulled and his body became limp. Ammon stabbed the limp form before him in anger. Avery had known nothing of use to him. He drained the pitiful amount of magic from his victim and the body dissolved. Then he turned on his heal and left the ritual room.

"Bring me Avery's prisoner. Maybe he'll have more to say then his captor." Two junior Death Eaters snapped to attention and moved to comply with his orders never bothering to ask what had become of Avery.

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When Harry returned to the Aurors Office there was a memo waiting for him on his desk from Robards. He looked quickly around the room for the rest of his squad. Mason sat at his own desk with his feet propped up on it, munching away at a bag of crisps. Ivanova was standing next to him talking rapidly to him. Of the rest of his squad there was no immediate sign. He sighed and motioned them for them to join him. Mason's dark face broke into a wide smile and Ivanova smiled as well.

"What can we do for you, Captain?" said Mason once he was close enough to Harry.

"Robards wants to see us as of five minutes ago," he frowned as he scanned the room again for Peterson, Somersby and McDonnigan.

"The others will be along in a moment. They're filing the reports on the Alder case," Ivanova said, her English somewhat accented.

"Let's go then. We can fill the others in later or they can join us when they get here," Harry sent quick memoes to them and then knocked on Robard's door.

The door swung open without anyone's assistance and Robards looked up at Harry as they entered. "Ah, Mr. Potter, Mr. Mason and Ms Ivanova. Thank heavens you are here! Your needed in the field immediately. There's been a strange disturbance near Surry. Aurors at the scene have reported high levels of Dark magical energy that seems to be mutating anything it comes into contact with."

"We're on it, sir. Anything else we need to know?" Harry voice was calm and steady and Robards seemed to take comfort in Harry's words.

"I don't have anything else to give you, Mr. Potter. Just be careful. We don't know what this is or what might be it's cause but we do know that there is a dark wizard or witch on the rise. Watch you backs."

"Always, sir," Harry and the others bowed to Robards and then left in swirl of robes never noticing the odd sheen in Robards eyes.

Ten minutes later they stood on a low rise just to the west of the Muggle town Harry had grown up in. The other Auror's had managed to get a shield around the entire town to protect the Muggles within it from the effects of the Dark Magic cloud and had placed charms around the area to keep the Muggles away from it. Harry was grateful for this. If he had to keep an eye on the Muggles as well as his team things would be rather difficult. It was bad enough that Harry felt as if someone was watching him in a way that was causing all of his alarms to go off. That coupled with the sense of utter wrongness he was feeling was making it hard for him to concentrate. Something here was off somehow and he couldn't seem to put a finger on it.

"Blood Magic," Ivanova hissed menacingly, muttering something in rapid Russian under her breath as she made the sign of Light magic to ward off evil.

"Blood Magic did this?" Mason let out a low whistle. "That's some serious mojo someone's temperin' with."

Harry nodded and studied the twisted vegetation at the edge of the bank of blood-red, swirling fog. The bushes were waving back and forth and were sending wave after wave of small needle-like projections with each movement. A little beyond the bush the skeleton of a small animal moved, glaring balefully at Harry with glowing red eyes that reminded him of Voldemort.

"Add Necromancy to that," he said quietly as Ivanova once more averted evil.

The dark fog had stopped moving forward after the Aurors had arrived but it still seemed to pulse with energy and there were dark shapes within it that Harry could not see clearly.

"Inferi..." McDonnigan whispered and a shiver went up Harry's spine as a memory of a lake full of Inferi moving in to kill him surfaced in his mind.

"What should we do, Captain?" Somersby's mouth was set in a grim line and he looked not at Harry but at the blood red fog, a look of pure loathing on his face.

Harry studied the fog a few moments and then looked around for a place to sit. Once he was settled on the smooth, flat rock and the others had gathered around him he explained his plan. He hated to break up his team but there was nothing for it. They would all just have to be very careful.

"Mason, I want you to Ghost. We need to find out what this fog is and how it works."

"Yes, sir." Mason's very white teeth flashed in his dark face and he literally vanished from sight, headed toward the fog bank to have a look inside.

"Ivanova, McDonnigan, I'll need a reading on the fog bank. How it moves, it's strengths, probably weaknesses, it's effects on the currents of magic in the area. Anything of that nature."

"Done, sir," they said in unison as they moved out.

"Peterson, I need a detailed catalogue of what the fog had damaged so far, what types of plants and animals may have been effected and what they've mutated into. I also want to know what if anything can be done to restore them to their natural state. Take one of the other Auror's with you and be careful."

"Sir," Peterson ran back toward the Auror camp.

Harry turned to Somersby. "I need you to guard me. I'm going Hunting."

Somersby's eyes widened, "But, sir forgive me but isn't that dangerous and a bit reckless?"

"We need to find the source of this fog and to try to stop it. I'm the only one here with the ability to power the search. "

"I understand, sir. Be careful and hood Hunting."

Harry closed his eyes and slipped into a light trance sending out his magic into the fog, seeking the magical source of it and hopefully it's caster or at least the signature of it's creator. Harry shuddered as he felt his magic slip through the fog and the fog's reaction to the intrusion. It was as if he'd plunged into an icy cold lake. He could feel his magic being bombarded from every direction by thousands of frozen needles that he could feel on his physical body. A wave of dizziness almost overwhelmed him but he gritted his teeth and pressed on.

Something was pulling him farther west and he followed that pull until he reached the center of the fog. Someone had performed a Dark ritual within the blackened stone circle at his feet fueling the spell with the deaths of several small animals. Within the circle there was a swirling vortex of Dark magic, the curse that was causing the fog and the mutations. Harry could feel the power of the spell that had been woven and could feel it tugging on his magic as if it was seeking to capture it.

Harry strengthened his shield a fraction and studied the swirling vortex of energy intently. The components of the spell were easy to find (wormwood, salt, blood and stone) as was the reason that the curse had been set here (lines of magical energy converged here and created a pool of pure magic). The question of who had set the spell however had no definite answer. There were to many magical signatures in the area to determine which one belonged to the caster. Whomever had set the spell had covered their tracks well and seemed to know what abilities Harry had.

In a last ditch effort to try and find out who the caster was, Harry reached out his mental 'hands' toward the vortex hoping to get a closer reading. In the instant he did so, he knew it was the wrong thing to do. The vortex sent out 'hands' of it's own and latched onto Harry's with a surprising strength. Harry felt an electric shock travel up his arms followed by a cold numbness that spread rapidly from his hands, through his nebulous body and into his magical core. There was a brief flare of power and Harry could feel something trying to get passed the shielding he'd put in place around his core to get at the powerful magic inside. He could feel the vortex draining the power to his shields even as he fed more of his power into them. He could feel them weakening with each passing second while the vortex grew stronger on the stolen power.

In desperation Harry attempted to flee back down the path he'd taken to get here but he felt a malevolent presence blocking his escape route. He could feel the blows against his shields increasing in strength and number even as the shields began to splinter and crack. Panicked Harry looked around for some way of extracting himself from the trap he'd unwittingly fallen into without doing to much damage to himself. He could not allow himself to be captured just yet. Shoving his fear and panic into a box inside his mind, he concentrated on a technique he'd been trained to use in order to escape mental traps such as this one.

Ignoring his weakening shields, the fear that was causing his concentration to slip and the flurry of hammer blows that were falling all around him, he focused only on the image in his mind's eye of his mental and magical stronghold, which ironically looked similar to the cupboard under the stairs the Dursley's had locked him in as a child. His instructor had told him to think of the one place in all the world that he'd always found safety or where had felt safest and although Hogwarts had been a second home to him and the Burrow had been the home where the people he considered his family dwelled the safety of both places had been breached at on time or another during his stay there by Voldemort. They were not the safe havens they had appeared on the surface to be and so he could not use them for this exercise. Nor were his parents house in Godric's Hallow nor Number 12 Grimald Place. The only other place he'd been able think of was the one place he'd loathed growing up. It was the only place at the Dursley's that he had felt reasonably safe. His aunt, uncle and cousin never ventured into the cupboard because of his association with it and even though he'd been locked in it countless times as punishment it was also the only place he'd been able to call his own. It was also the only place he could get away from them and where they would leave him alone for hours at a time. In short it had been his childhood safe haven.

Concentrating on the image in his mind, he sent out a small stream of magic into it and shot it through the grate on the door in the direction he knew his body lay. The stream of magic started to glow the moment it left his cupboard leaving a fiery trail behind it. Harry grabbed the end of the trail with his 'hands' and felt himself being catapulted through the fog and back toward his body. He heard a shriek and for a brief moment the signature of the wizard who had set the trap glowed brightly to his 'eyes'.

"Impossible," Harry's heart beat in double time within his chest. "Impossible."

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Harry awoke several days later to be greeted with the sight of a freckled and tear-stained face and a pair of tearful brown eyes.

"Oh, Harry. Thank goodness you're awake," her voice sounded like the voice of an angel to him.

Harry tried to get his mouth to move, to tell her he was perfectly fine but he couldn't seem to say anything. His eyes searched her face and he tried to speak again but once more nothing happened. Ginny took his hand gently in hers but she had started crying again and kept repeating '_It will be all right now.' _over and over again. Frustrated with his lack of the ability to speak he tried to comfort her by touching her cheek with his other hand but, as with his mouth, his arm refused to obey his brain's commands. It was then that he realised he could not feel her holding his hand. Panicked now he held her tear-stained gaze and willed her to understand his unvoiced questions.

Ginny wiped the tears from her eyes and looked at him with concern. Again he tried to give voice to his questions but nothing happened.

"It will be okay, Harry, I promise. The Healers thought it would be better to put you in a Full Body Bind until your wounds have had a chance to heal. " Her voice was falsely bright. "You where hit by several Dark curses as well as being attacked physically. "

He looked at her in confusion. Injuries? What injuries and how extensive? He'd been in a trance, he'd sent out his magic on the Hunt for the one who'd set the spell but he'd left Somersby on guard and Alan was not someone that could be taken down easily. Had there been an attack? He tried to remember the moment he had returned to his body but found that he could not. He looked at Ginny again his eyes full of pleading.

"The rest of your team is fine, Harry. You were the only one who was badly hurt," there was a hitch in her voice and her eyes traveled over him. "Somersby was hexed but he's fine now. He went home this morning. The other Auror's got there in time to arrest the man who was attacking you but he vanished before they could capture him."

Harry felt a shiver run up his spine. Someone knew he was after them. The fog had been a trap meant to ensnare him long enough to kill his physical body. The question was who was after his blood this time?Was this the work of the newly risen Dark Lord or someone else? Did they know he had the scroll? Questions without answers circled in his mind but he was brought up short by the return of Ginny's sobs.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry...It's just after everything else you've been through...Harry..." she looked into his eyes fear and sorrow warring for dominance in her own. "I'm sorry...Harry..."

Harry's eyes caught her own and he held them. Quite clearly Ginny saw the questions almost as if he'd given voice to them. "What's wrong, Ginny? What is really wrong with me?"

Imagining him speaking caused her to burst into tears once more. " Oh...H...harry...your magical core...it's...been severally damaged. I... afraid your magic is...damaged..."

His eyes widened and they pleaded with her to tell him the full truth. She shook her head and said in a faint voice. "Your...magic...it's...it's...gone."


End file.
